WHY OBAMA WENT ALL IN ON HAGEL – Josh Gerstein and Glenn Thrush write for the hometown paper: “President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden have fiercely defended the nomination of Chuck Hagel, despite advisers and Hill Democrats who questioned the move and predicted a firestorm, according to Democratic sources. That opinion was validated, at least for the moment, by events Thursday as Senate Republicans narrowly blocked cloture on Hagel’s nomination. Obama immediately slammed the filibuster — which could be broken after a 10-day congressional recess. But an irked Obama is dead set on installing his pick at the Pentagon — even though the bitter battle over his confirmation is likely to leave lasting scars on his nominee at a time of looming military cuts and dangerous new developments in Iran and North Korea.

Story Continued Below

-- “‘We’ve never had a secretary of defense filibustered before … there are only a handful of instances in which there’s been any kind of filibuster of anybody,” the president said during a Google+ chat after the Senate vote. ‘My expectation and hope is that Chuck Hagel … will be confirmed as our defense secretary,’ he said. ‘It’s just unfortunate that this kind of politics intrudes at a time when I’m presiding over [a war in Afghanistan].’

-- “Senior White House officials predicted that a battered Hagel would manage to limp over the finish line and take the job of defense secretary later this month. But others questioned the cost after weeks of absorbing criticism about his previous statements on Israel, his personal finances and unanswered questions about Obama’s personal response to the Sept. 11, 2012, attacks in Benghazi, Libya.” http://politi.co/XCRHpg

-- The delay gives conservatives more time to dig up dirt on Hagel, but Democrats are arguing that the Pentagon is now leaderless at a time of increased security threats. POLITICO’s Tim Mak and Manu Raju write: “Thursday’s 58-40 vote to cut off Senate debate was as much an attempt to advance him as Potomac jiu-jitsu by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), who moved it up from Friday knowing it would fail in a bid to get Republicans on the record blocking him. Sixty votes were needed to move the nomination forward. Reid and the White House seized the opportunity to slam the GOP for what they called needless obstructionism that might prove dangerous given the appearance that the Defense Department would be headless. Its incumbent boss, Leon Panetta, was set to stay on until Hagel is finally confirmed, the Pentagon confirmed, but Panetta flew home to California on Thursday to help sell the narrative that Republicans were leaving his office in the E-Ring vacant.” http://politi.co/Z05OYv

FOUR REPUBLICANS crossed the aisle and voted with Democrats to end debate: Sens. Mike Johanns of Nebraska, Susan Collins of Maine, Thad Cochran of Mississippi and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. Orrin Hatch of Utah voted present. The NYT has an interactive graphic of the vote: http://nyti.ms/12QJDZt

– The NYT Editorial Board calls the GOP filibuster “a new low”: “The most dishonest aspect of this debacle was that Republicans denied they were filibustering, claiming that they just wanted to prolong debate for a while and that all major votes require 60 supporters. (Mr. Hagel lost by a single vote.) That, of course, is the very definition of the filibuster, now so routine that Republican no longer acknowledge what they are doing. The Constitution says the Senate must give or withhold its consent to presidential nominees; it does not give minority blocs the power to determine the outcome. The Senate could have restored the power of a majority last month if Mr. Reid had agreed to a proposal to reduce this abuse, but he did not. Though Republicans are determined to turn cabinet nominations into tortuous ordeals, Democrats gave them the power to do so.” http://nyti.ms/XSdFGP

The (N.J.) Star-Ledger, A1, Banner headline, “Series of ailments tell Lautenberg not to run,” By Tom Moran: “Frank Lautenberg … is a guy who has knocked down every barrier he’s faced. But in the end, he was no match for a microscopic bug and the steady drumbeat of time. He got sick over and over this winter as his 89th birthday approached, missing weeks of work, including the climactic vote on Sandy relief. After the Newtown massacre, this lion in the fight for gun control was mostly silent. At dinner with one of his oldest confidants last week, he said for the first time that he was ready to close up shop. Serving another term, until the age of 96, was just not realistic. ‘He was not decided before the sickness, no matter what people say,’ says Jim McQueeny, the long-time friend and former staffer. ‘When he got sick a couple of times too close together, he started to think more deeply about it.’

– “And so it ends. Good news for Newark Mayor Cory Booker, who wants Lautenberg’s seat. And good news for U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone (D-6th), Booker’s strongest rival. Lautenberg will finish this term, he says, and call it quits. He walks with the help of a cane now, and no longer brags about how many push-ups he can do. But talk to people in Washington, and they say that Lautenberg has remained a vigorous player, at least until the winter flu and bronchitis episodes knocked him down low. He is no Sen. Strom Thurmond, the South Carolina Republican who stayed in office until he was 100 years old and was barely aware of his surroundings.” http://bit.ly/12QORo9See the front page:http://bit.ly/YvoKwj

-- Lautenberg broke the news in an interview with the Star-Ledger: “I am not announcing the end of anything. I am announcing the beginning of a two-year mission to pass new gun safety laws, protect children from toxic chemicals and create more opportunities for working families in New Jersey. While I may not be seeking re-election, there is plenty of work to do before the end of this term and I'm going to keep fighting as hard as ever for the people of New Jersey in the U.S. Senate.” http://bit.ly/Yju46Y

-- A new poll reveals that the controversy surrounding New Jersey’s other senator, Bob Menendez, hasn’t hurt his standing with constituents:http://bit.ly/YcEMKv

PRESIDENTS’ DAY PROGRAMMING NOTE – If Congress is taking a full week off, we think we deserve at least a day off. Huddle won’t be publishing on Monday in honor of the Presidents’ Day holiday.

MOVEON TARGETS CONGRESS OVER RECESS WITH SIX-FIGURE AD BUY -- As members of Congress head home for recess, they will be greeted by MoveOn's nationwide “The NRA Doesn’t Speak For Me” campaign. The six-figure ad buy includes a national TV ad running on national cables channels and the Sunday shows, and will use the recess as an opportunity to organize rallies and congressional office drop-bys. MoveOn will also distribute “The NRA Doesn’t Speak for Me” bumper stickers. Watch the TV ad here: http://youtu.be/gMGJiMfkmCo

COHEN’S DELETED TWEETS WERE TO RECENTLY DISCOVERED DAUGHTER – Luke Russert and Frank Thorp report for NBC News: “Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., tells NBC News that the 24-year-old woman he tweeted at during the State of the Union address was not a romantic interest, but in fact his daughter. After ‘The Hill’ reported that Cohen -- who is not married -- deleted tweets saying ‘ilu,’ short for “I love you,” to Victoria Brink, Cohen claimed that nothing was inappropriate and that the woman was a daughter of an old family friend. That old family friend turned out to be an old girlfriend of Cohen’s and Victoria Brink's mother.

-- “Cohen claimed the reason for tweeting Brink, who had not admitted publicly to Cohen being her dad, was genuine excitement. ‘When she let me know she was watching the State of the Union address I was thrilled that she wanted Steve Cohen to be part of her. I had such joy, that I couldn’t hold back from tweeting her,’ said Cohen. The congressman would not elaborate on how he only found out three years ago that he had a daughter. He said circumstances led him to search on Google for the mother of his child. ‘I googled her mother, found out she had a child and the math looked pretty accurate,’ he said. ‘The mom told me we had a lot of catching up to do.’” http://nbcnews.to/XJ2zWe

HUDSON TWEETS AT KANYE, KIM – Rep. Rich Hudson, chairman of the Homeland Security Committee’s Transportation Security panel had some advice for the celebrity couple after their TSA flap: @RepRichHudson: @KanyeWest @KimKardashian Next time you fly, #dash through airport security. Sign up for @TSA’s Pre Check. Great way to skip #allofthelines

GOOD FRIDAY MORNING, FEBRUARY 15, 2013, and welcome to The Huddle, your play-by-play preview of the day’s congressional news. Send tips, suggestions, comments, complaints and corrections to swong@politico.com. If you don't already, please follow me on Twitter @scottwongDC.

My new followers include but are not limited to @ClovesCCampbell and @IanSams.

TODAY IN CONGRESS – The Senate is out today. The House is in at 9 a.m. with first and last votes between 11 a.m. and noon on a resolution condemning the government of North Korea for its flagrant and repeated violations of multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions and repeated provocations that threaten international peace and stability, including its Feb. 12 nuclear test. The chamber will also vote on a resolution to eliminate the 2013 statutory pay adjustment for Federal employees.

Both chambers are out all of next week for the Presidents’ Day recess.

AROUND THE HILL – Rep. Henry Waxman and others announce a Climate Change Initiative at 10 a.m. in HVC Studio B. L.A. Laker Metta World Peace joins Rep. Grace Napolitano in support of the Mental Health in Schools Act at 11:40 a.m. at the House Triangle.

CRUZ COMES OUT SWINGING – Manu Raju profiles the tea party Texan: “Sen. Ted Cruz lost his voice a couple days ago. Some senators probably wish it wouldn’t come back — at least for a little while. In six short weeks since he became the junior Texas GOP senator, the no-nonsense freshman has quickly become a lightning rod — on issues ranging from guns to Chuck Hagel’s nomination for defense secretary — upending the Senate’s conventional ways, in which freshmen typically work quietly to build bridges with their colleagues. Cruz’s sharp-elbowed Senate style underscores the dilemma facing Republicans as they seek a way out of the political wilderness: Rising stars like Cruz, a tea party favorite, are winning elections and GOP primaries. But their no-compromise, firebrand styles could turn off voters eager to see the two parties start making deals. … Just this week, Cruz was rebuked by senior senators like Republican John McCain and Democrat Bill Nelson for what they considered an unfair line of questioning allegedly impugning Hagel’s patriotism. He previously ignored requests from Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin (D-Mich.) to refrain from using video clips to question Hagel during his confirmation proceedings. Many were stunned when Cruz was one of just three senators to vote against John Kerry’s nomination as secretary of state.

-- “Behind closed doors, some Republican senators report that Cruz, in his stone-cold serious prosecutorial style, speaks at length when it’s far more common for freshmen to wait before asserting themselves — particularly ones who were just sworn in. And the Texas tea partier was quick to annoy one of the most powerful Senate Democrats, Chuck Schumer, after he engaged in a combative line of questioning with the New Yorker on a recent Sunday talk show, even though senators from opposing parties are typically far more collegial in those settings.” http://politi.co/Yi60RY

SENATE DEMS REACH SEQUESTER DEAL – David Rogers has the story for POLITICO: “Senate Democrats said Thursday they will move ahead with a roughly $110 billion budget package — evenly divided between new tax revenues and spending cuts — to forestall the across-the-board sequester cuts due to take effect March 1. ‘We have a deal,’ said Majority Leader Harry Reid after a party luncheon. The Nevada Democrat hopes to bring the bill to the floor the week of Feb. 25 when senators have returned from the Presidents Day recess. That leaves precious little time before the billions in across-the-board cuts take effect and Reid faces an uphill climb finding Republican partners. Nonetheless, his bill is the first sign of legislative movement after weeks of finger-pointing, and Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) told reporters that if senators ‘are willing to pass a bill, we’ll find some way to work with them to address this problem.’” http://politi.co/YblsgT

TWO WEEKS FROM DEADLINE, SEQUESTER SEEMS INEVITABLE – Ian Swanson and Alex Bolton write for The Hill: “The question in Washington is no longer whether the automatic spending cuts known as the sequester will be implemented: It's when and even if the spending reductions will ever be shut off. The $85 billion in cuts looming on March 1 would run through the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30, leaving more than $900 billion in cuts for Congress and the White House to wrangle with over the next eight years. Pressure may intensify to pass sequester legislation in March as federal workers are furloughed and Pentagon and other government programs are cut. But the cuts seem also certain to begin rolling given the vast distance between Democrats and Republicans over how to avert them. ‘We’re pretty far away because we have revenue in ours,’ said Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), commenting on the daylight between Democratic and GOP leaders.” http://bit.ly/14WpjVb

SEQUESTER WILL MEAN LAYOFFS, FURLOUGHS FOR HILL – Emma Dumain reports for Roll Call: “If the sequester comes to pass, officials warn that the country’s defense operations would be significantly weakened. So would the security systems in place on Capitol Hill. On Thursday, Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Terrance Gainer summoned his nearly 925 employees to break the news that the looming automatic spending cuts could necessitate furloughs and layoffs, the first in institutional memory for the department. ‘You can’t sugarcoat bad information,’ Gainer told CQ Roll Call on Thursday afternoon. Gainer reported to his team that depending on how much of a cut the Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms is forced to make, management could be looking at a salary shortfall of $4 million to $5 million and general expense reductions of $7 million. Those numbers would only increase over time, Gainer said, noting that his department has already shaved $22 million from its budget over the past three years.” http://bit.ly/YcGf3J

-- Washington has been abuzz with sequestration talk but the budget cuts could make big news back home, report POLITICO’s Darren Samuelsohn and Leigh Munsil: http://politi.co/YuHEDj

HEINZ KERRY PROFITS FROM BUFFETT’S HEINZ DEAL -- Jonathan D. Salant and Peter S. Green write for Bloomberg: Teresa Heinz Kerry, the wife of Secretary of State John Kerry, is profiting from the sale of HJ Heinz Co. to Berkshire Hathaway Inc. and 3G Capital. The $23 billion sale of Heinz valued the stock at $72.50 a share, 20 percent higher than yesterday’s closing price of $60.48. Through three family trusts, Heinz Kerry, the widow of Pennsylvania Republican Senator John Heinz, owned more than $3 million in Heinz stock in 2011, according to a personal financial disclosure report filed in August 2012 by her husband, then a U.S. senator from Massachusetts. Kerry didn’t report any holdings in the company. …

-- “Senator Kay Hagan, a North Carolina Democrat, and eight House members also owned Heinz stock … Republican Representative Mike Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, bought between $1,000 and $15,000 of stock in November 2011. The biggest Heinz investor in Congress was Representative Dave Camp, a Michigan Republican and chairman of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee. He reported holdings of between $50,000 and $100,000. Freshman Republican Keith Rothfus valued his Heinz stake at between $15,000 and $50,000, with his wife owning an additional $50,000 and $100,000 of Heinz stock.” http://bloom.bg/Xdwa7n

IS McCARTHY TOUGH ENOUGH? – David Drucker wrotes for Roll Call: “Rep. Kevin McCarthy may be the most well-liked member on Capitol Hill among fellow House Republicans. And that might be part of the problem. The California congressman’s fans are legion, and even critics concede that whipping this particular group of House Republicans might be the toughest job in politics. But a successful House majority whip, the third-ranking member of the leadership team behind the speaker and the majority leader, has to be part confidant, part enforcer. And it’s in fulfilling the enforcement role that McCarthy falls noticeably short, according to a broad range of Republican operatives, including former GOP House members.

-- “Of course, McCarthy faces many internal and external obstacles to herding the 218 votes needed to pass legislation on the floor, including bills once treated as routine. The majority whip is dealing with a large class of new, inexperienced conservative idealists who equate compromise with capitulation and incremental victory with defeat. Externally, conservative advocacy groups often exert more influence over Republican members than conference leaders. But McCarthy’s critics say there are factors within his control that might allow House Republicans to present a more united front to President Barack Obama and Senate Democrats.” http://bit.ly/12QSvOV

THURSDAY’S TRIVIA WINNER – Jim Casto was first to correctly answer that while running for president in 1860, Abraham Lincoln received a letter from 11-year-old Grace Bedell suggesting that he grow a beard to improve his appearance.

TODAY’S TRIVIA – Former Rep. Steven LaTourette, who has a fondness for beards, has today’s question: What bearded president is linked forever to one of Alexander Graham Bell’s lesser known inventions? First to correctly answer gets a mention in the next day’s Huddle. Email me at swong@politico.com.

GET HUDDLE emailed to your Blackberry, iPhone or other mobile device each morning. Just enter your email address where it says “Sign Up.” http://www.politico.com/huddle/

** A message from the Stop The HIT Coalition: The Health Insurance Tax (HIT) drives up health care costs for small businesses, seniors, state Medicaid programs and middle-income Americans. The HIT is estimated to cost hardworking American families an additional $5,000 over a decade. And since the cost and consequences of the HIT increase over time, America’s small businesses and hardworking families are facing a bigger HIT every year. This translates to real jobs for businesses and real wages for families. That’s why the Stop The HIT Coalition – representing the nation’s small business owners and their employees – is working hard to repeal the HIT before it causes even more damage. Congress, please stop the HIT. Once and for all. http://bit.ly/1iE6tfW **

Authors:

About The Author

Scott Wong covers transportation for POLITICO Pro, and authors The Huddle, POLITICO’s popular morning tipsheet on Congress. He was a congressional reporter with the publication from 2010 to 2012.

He reported from Tucson, Ariz., after the deadly shooting rampage that severely injured Rep. Gabby Giffords and helped break a story about Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill’s private plane that led to her admission she owed more than $300,000 in state property taxes.

He got his professional start in journalism covering local government for two small newspapers in his native San Francisco Bay Area. He later became a staff writer for The Arizona Republic, where he covered the Arizona statehouse and Phoenix City Hall.

After graduating from UCLA, he spent a year teaching English in a rural mountain village in Japan. He is a member of the Asian American Journalists Association, and lives with his wife and daughter in Washington.